Cleaning and Caring for Amber Jewellery

How to Clean Jewellery - Part One

Ideally Amber jewellery should be cleaned after every time you wear it to prevent a build up of oil from your skin. Amber jewellery is easy to clean but do not to get it wet, as water will turn amber cloudy. Find a soft, clean cloth and dip it into warm very mild soapy water then wring it out really well until it feels dry. There should be no dripping water left. Do not use detergents of any kind as they WILL damage the amber. Take your wrung out cloth and wipe over the amber then use a dry cloth to dry it immediately after wiping. If you are cleaning more than one piece, clean each piece in turn rather than leaving the amber to dry by itself, or it may turn cloudy.

If you are unfortunate enough to have got grease marks from cosmetics on your amber then put a couple of drops of sweet almond oil or olive oil onto a cloth and very carefully and gently and rub until the mark has disappeared, then wipe again with a dry cloth. Oil can be used simply as a polish for amber jewellery.

The general rules of thumb are the same as for any piece of delicate jewellery; donít get it wet, avoid wearing for housework, gardening, sport, swimming or sunbathing and do not apply hairspray and perfume before wearing amber jewellery, apply first and wait until your skin is completely dry. Amber can chip if treated roughly so it is best stored in a soft cloth or bag.